Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-05-21
WASHINGTON r
Something About Three Very Rich
Statesmen.

H. .H aI -
Something About Three Very Rich
Statesmen.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, March 22.-I saw some
1925 100000 leaning against a section of
the senate wall, not larger than four feet wide
and six feet high, not long ago. The wall
stood the weight very well, and the two men
who represented it did not appear to be
heavily burdened. They. were Leland Stan
ford, of California, who is said to ba worth
S75,00O,000, and James G. Fair, of Nevada,
who is said to be worth 100000. The two
millionaires We're talking earnestly together.
Stanford had his hands in bis pockets, md
Fair was lingering his black watch chain.
The immense wealth of the two men was
not shown by their clothes. Neither of them
wore purple or fine linen, and their two
suits together cost probably not more than
$40. They wore no jewelry, and / noted that
Stanford's eyeglasses We're trimmed with black
rubber. They had good, strong faces, and
that OF Fair was rather intellectual and clas-
sic. Fair is the grayer headed man of the
two, and his hair and beard are now of a dark
iron gray. Stanford's hair is dark brown and
his beard has IA reddish tinge. Both men are
talfand wellmade. Both have good physiques,
and | doubt not both sleep well of nights. A
generation ago neither was making over
81 500 a year, and now each of them must
have an income of more than that a day.
Verify. the trutlIo OF great fortunes is stranger
than the ~fictions of Monte Christie.
Speaking of Senator Fair, l saw his sue
cessor, William NJ. Stewart, the other day.
He does not look much like his picture,
and his hair is now as white as snow. His
beard is a great long bunch of frosted silver,
and the top of his head bids fair to become
bald if the thinning process continues to G Don
with advancing years. Nevertheless, Senator
Stewart is a fine looking man. He is fully
six feet tall, is as straight as a Norwegian
pine, and weighs, 1 should. judge, nearly 200
pounds. He has q rosy, fair complexion, blue
eyes, which look out under white brows,
and regular features. I saw him talking
with Senator Fair and Inotsd that the two
men ssere'ofi about the same build. Senator
Stewart Is now 60 years old, and it is a gener-
alton since he was elec1ed to the senate as the
first senator from Nevada in 1864. He served
then twelve years.and he leftt the senate to re-
side in San francisco. BE lives very finely
there and is a man of wealth. His house,
which the Chinese legation occupies here, is q
castle in appearance, and it rents for a sum
equal to the salary OF the chief justice of the
United States. Senator Stewart is a man of
much education and culture. He is a graduate
Of Yale, and western men tell me he is one of
the finest lawyers 2on the Pacific coast.
He is a self made man, and began life
as q farmers boy in New York. He
taught school for the money whsch sent him
to college, and went west at the beginning of
the gold fever and made a fortane. He lost
this and made another, and repeated the ex-
perience several times since then, though
his wealth at present is said to be much less
than when he was in the senate before, and
when he built the palace which is SO valuable
now, but which was so long known as Stew
arts folly. He will be an important addition
to the Republican side of the chamber, and
will, / doubt not, be one of the leading social
entertainers of rhe next season.